Is The Living and the Dead the spookiest show on TV?
Spine-chilling period drama with 'crackling sexual chemistry' keeping fans chilled and thrilled
Summer might be heating up, but the BBC's supernatural drama The Living and the Dead has been giving viewers plenty of chills in the notorious TV dead zone.
The series was created by Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham, the writers behind sci-fi police dramas Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, and they sum it up as "Thomas Hardy with ghosts". It is set in late 19th-century Somerset as the power of science is on the rise, although the old ways and superstitions of rural folk linger.
Colin Morgan stars as pioneering psychologist Nathan Appleby and Charlotte Spencer plays his photographer wife, Charlotte. The couple inherited a farm in the isolated community of Shepzoy, but find their plans for a new life are threatened by unsettling supernatural phenomena.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Guardian calls it "six hours of spooky fun", while the Daily Telegraph dubs it "Poldark with poltergeists" and "crackling sexual chemistry".
The six-part series, which started late in June, has had its share of twists to keep fans guessing – and jumping out of their seats as the tension and disturbing atmosphere escalates.
Twitter fans watching episode four on BBC1 last night called it "total hairs rising on the back of your neck, spine-chilling stuff" and warned it was "not a show to watch on your own in the dark".
Sara Wallis in the Daily Mirror advises viewers to keep a "cushion at the ready to hide behind" and "prepare to leap off your sofa more than once" as the eerie series continues its run.
As if it wasn't bad enough that there was "spooky candlelight, whispering and mounting dread", the latest episode also featured a woman wandering around the woods in a vivid scarlet dress, calling out to ask if there is anyone there as she heard twigs snapping nearby, adds Wallis.
With tension building in every plotline, "the result is some fantastically stressful viewing", continues the critic: "Just don't hold any hot drinks."
There are some genuine "jump-out-of-your skin moments", says Claudia Connell in the Daily Mail, even though some of them are "rather sign-posted" - whenever anyone looked in a mirror or investigated a mysterious noise, "no good ever came of it".
But this is an atmospheric, well-acted show with a brilliant soundtrack, she adds, and at a time when most broadcasters are waiting until autumn to screen new dramas, "it fills a hole in the scheduling very nicely indeed".
The Living and the Dead is on BBC1 at 9pm and all six episodes are also available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures Playful goslings, an exploding snowman, and more
By Anahi Valenzuela, The Week US Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Aitch or haitch: the linguisitic debate that 'matters a lot'
Talking Point 'University Challenge' host Amol Rajan has promised to change the way he pronounces the letter 'H'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Secret Army: the IRA propaganda film forgotten for almost 50 years
Why Everyone's Talking About 'Chilling' BBC documentary reveals how US TV crew documented the inner workings of paramilitary group in 1970s
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Inseparable Sisters: uplifting BBC documentary about conjoined twins
The Week Recommends A 'refreshingly human and optimistic' portrayal that balances reality with positivity
By The Week UK Published
-
Annie Nightingale obituary: the trailblazing DJ who was Radio 1's longest-serving presenter
Obituary The first female DJ on BBC Radio 1, Nightingale paved the way for Annie Mac, Jo Whiley, Zoe Ball, Sara Cox and many more
By The Week Staff Published
-
Doctor Who: 60 years of time-travelling tomfoolery
Why Everyone's Talking About Special episodes celebrate show's past as Whovians look forward to new seasons ahead
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Jimmy Savile: is The Reckoning a dramatisation too far?
Talking Point Steve Coogan's BBC series deemed a 'lurid story told mainly for ratings'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Henpocalypse! review: ‘bawdy’ BBC Two comedy set in remote Wales
The Week Recommends It may be ‘a bit coarse’ but the characters become more likeable as the series goes on
By The Week Staff Published
-
Television: the great British turn-off
Talking Point TV viewership in the UK has seen its sharpest ever decline, latest figures suggest
By The Week Staff Published